buttler



No. 6|7,920. Patented Jan. 17, I899.

53 W. BUTTLER. I APPARATUS FOR FIRE FIMSHING @LASSWARE.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1897.) (N0 Model.) 2 Shefs8heet I V/ h \v@5121,

, theend of the glass article to be fire-finished of glass articles.

which have been cracked off from blanks or with "Three n'rnnr FFiCE,

\VILLIAM BUTTLER, OF REDKET, INDIANA.

-APPA RATUS FOR FIRE-'FINlSl-HNG GLASSWARE;

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 617,920, datedJanuary 17, 1899.

Application filed April 16, 1897. Serial No. 632,478, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BU'r'rLnR, of Redkey, in the county of Jayand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Fire-Finishing Glassware, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccoinpanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a sectional side elevation showing myimproved fire-finishing apparatus, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the lineH II of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide means for the rapidfire-finishing of the ends I have especially constructed my apparatusfor fire-finishing the ends of lamp-chimneys other articles inconjunction with which they have been blown; but within the scope of mybroad claims the apparatus is capable of use with other kinds of glassarticles.

The apparatus comprises a furnace-chainber having an elongated openingat theitop, together with an overhead carrier by which the articles arecarried in a'vertical position, with the ends to be finished directedtoward and into the opening, so that as the articles pass along theiredges are heated and finished in the desired manner.

The invention also consists in certain other items hereinafter recitedin the claims.-

In. the drawings, 2 represents a furnace closed at the sides and bottomand having at the top an elongated opening 3.

4 4 are gas-burners so arranged as to heat the end portion 5 of thefurnace more highly than the other end, and under that .part of theelongated opening to which the glass articles first come there is anarch or plate 6, of asbestos, which protects the articles from thedirectheat of the flame and causes them to be heated at that placeonlyloy radiated heat, thus rendering the heating action more graduaithan it otherwise would be.

The carrier for the glass chimneys consists of an endless chain 7,passing over sprocketwheels 8 and extending to the furnace preferablyfrom the cracking-off apparatus at which is separated from the blank orarticle with which it is formed. The lower branch of the chain extendsover and in proximity to the elongated opening, and the links areprovided at intervals with downwardly-extending forked supports 9,adapted to receive the necks of the chimneys. The lower branch of theendless chain is supported in horizontal position by horizontalbars 10,which extend laterally from the chain and travel on fixedsupporting-guides 11. As the lampchimneys are cracked off they areplaced within thesupport-s on the lower branch of the chain andarecarried therebyia;. -vertical position to the elongated opening ofthe furnace. At the place where the end of the lampchimneys first comesopposite to this opening the latter is covered by the plat-e or arch (i,

so that the end of the chimney is heated only.

by radiation; but when the chimney passes the same and reaches the openor uncovered part of the opening it is subjected to the'direct action ofthe flame and is more rapidly heated. The heat which it meets increasesas the chimney approaches the end of the furnace until finally its endis sufficiently heated and softened to remove the sharp or wire edgefrom its end, which it is the purpose of' the finishing operation toefface. The endless chain extends some distance beyond the end of thefurnacesay about six inches, more or less-so that after the chimney haspassed the end of the furnace-opening a sufficient time elapses beforeits removal to permit it to cool somewhat. At the point where the chainpasses around its second sprocketwheel 8 the chimneys will drop ofthemselves from the forked supports into a chute 12, down which theyrollinto abox. (Not shown.) To prevent the chimneys from breaking,series of strings of asbestos or other yielding material 13 are hung inthe box, so that as the chimney rolls thereinto some of the asbestosthreads will always be interposed between it and the next chimney andwill altord a cushion to prevent sudden jar and breaking of the glass.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art. It enables the work of fire-finishing to be carried on verylargely automatically, much labor is than in hand-finishing at theordinary gloryhole furnace or in-the use of prior apparatus and furnacesheretoi'ore devised for like purposes.

The holding of the glass articles with the end to be firefinished orglazed directed downwardly toward the source of heat affords importantadvantages. The end of the glass article is not apt to be distorted whenheated in this posi ion, and, moreover, the tendency of the heatedcurrents of air to rise causes them to flow upwardly and to envelop theentire body of the article, thus partially annealing the same andpreventing the very considerable breakage of glass which results whenthe chimneys are presented laterally to the source of heat or upwardlyfrom below the same. In the latter cases only the end of the chimney isheated, and as the body of the chimney remains entirely cool the unequalexpansion which results is apt to break the glass.

My improved apparatus is useful not only for heating chinmeysfbut forheating and finishing other articles. Articles may be heated by myapparatus either for the simple purpose of glazing them or to softenthem to be finished in molds or by hand-tools.

\Vithin the scope of my invention as defined in the claims the apparatusmaybe modified in various particulars, since \Vhat I claim is- 1. Inapparatus for finishing glassware, a furnace having a slot in its topforming an opening, and a carrier above the opening and external to thefurnace, said carrier having holders exterior to the furnace andarranged to hold the glass articles in a vertical position partly withinand partly without the slot and expose the lower portions to the heat ofthe furnace passing through the opening.

In apparatus for finishing glassware, a furnace havingau elongatedopening through the top of the furnace, a horizontally-moving endlesscarrier above and external to the furnace, and exterior holders on thecarrier arranged to support the articles in a vertical position partlywithin and partly witho l the opening.

2). The combination with a furnace having an elongated opening throughits top, of an endless carrier having holders exterior to the furnaceand arranged to expose the articles to the heatfrom the opening, andmeans for intensifying the heat at the delivery end of the opening.

4. The combination with a furnace having an upper elongated opening, ofa heat-radiating plate arranged to shield the portion of the openingfirst entered by the articles to be finished. e

5. In apparatus fol-finishing glassware, the combination with aheating-furnace having an elongated opening through its top, of anexternal endless chain above the opening having holders exterior to theopening arranged to support the glass articles in a vertical positionand carry their lower portions through the opening, and means foreontinuously moving said chain.

(5. In apparatus for finishing glassware, the combination with a furnacehaving an' upper elongated opening, of a carrier extending from thecracking-oi! apparatus past the opening, holders upon the chain arrangedto support the glass articles in vertical position and carry their lowerportions through the opening, and automatic mechanism for dischargingthe articles from the holders after the same have been heated. i

7. In apparatus forl'inishing glassware, the combination with a furnacehaving a slot or opening through its top, of means for varying the heatin different portions of the opening, and an upper external carrierhaving holders exterior to the slot or opening and arranged to supportthe glass articles in vertical position partly within and partly withoutthe slot and carry them through the opening.

8. The combination with an endless chain, of a chute at the end thereofdown which the glass articles when released travel, a recep" tacle forthe glass articles, and hanging flexible cushions arranged in series soas to sep arate the glass articles and prevent their hit ting againstone another.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' WILLIAM BUTTLER. \Vitnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, (Inonon l. IIoLDsHIP.

